Ars Amatoria Romance Theme Challenge
by Purple Strobe
Summary: Katherommy, Don't Hate. HORRORxROMANCE. A collection of 40 horror filled fics. How 'bout a little R&R?
1. Friends

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers. There, I said it. Oh, and I don't know who the theme challenge belongs to but again…I'm not the owner._

**A/N: **As always, my A/N in the first chapter will always be my longest. I should start off by saying that I wanted there to be a twist in romance and how people viewed romance to be. It comes in many different forms of looks, gestures, and feelings. I was taken back by the fact that there are so many people out there writing the same fics over and over again for the theme challenges having the only difference being the couples. With that said, keeping an open mind about love is a must. If you have a weak stomach, or just don't like anything out of the ordinary, I suggest you go back now. The challenge to myself is writing 40 stories dealing with the themes in horror yet still keeping the romance intact throughout the characters' feelings toward one another; hence the Horror/Romance summary. The chapters will be rated a strict M for the simple fact that much of it will be gory or dealing with adult situations and language. Well, enough with the explanations, if you still dare, hence forth and read on…

**Thy Collection of 40  
**'_Love is all in how you look at Romance'_

Friends

Pulling the horse by the reigns back into its stable, Tommy Oliver heard a series of gallops and loud neighs from the other horses surrounding him. Mustard, the black Mustang horse he was trying to tame the entire day lifted its frontal legs and began to sway its head from side to side in a desperate attempt to get away from the teenage boy.

"There…there boy" Tommy told the horse trying to calm him down for the umpteenth time today. Though trying to pet him, the horse's strength was overpowering his own, before he felt a hand take over the reign.

"I'll take it from here" a deep man's voice was heard from behind him. Turning around, Tommy looked three inches up to find the horse's owner taking care of things and controlling the situation.

"Oh, uh…" he began to say with embarrassment in his voice. It wasn't much that he couldn't control the horse, it was his _job_ to control the horse. He and Kat had taken up a part-time job together to tame young horses as a time killer for the summer. "Okay" he simply said letting go of the ropes and letting the owner take over.

"It's alright Oliver," he said keeping the horse in front of him pushing his head down forcefully. "Hillard's out back waiting for you. I expect to see you both here bright and early tomorrow morning." The boss always called his employees by their last names. He thought it had a more professional approach to it and wanted the kids to treat him with respect; it was his philosophy.

Tommy looked down at Mr. Buck's blue cowboy boots and saw his stance was still struggling with the horse. Knowing his boss all too well in not wanting help, he simply got out of the way as quickly as possible and let Mr. Buck do what he did best. "Yes sir" he told him walking out of the large stable and rubbing his hands against his jeans in the process.

Coming out of the ranch, he saw Katherine 'Kat' Hillard already in his black jeep waiting for his arrival. She took out hand sanitizer and poured a rather large drop on her left hand before beginning to rub both hands together to cleanse her skin. She hadn't noticed Tommy getting into the jeep until the sound of the door next to her opening and shutting loudly. Turning to look at him she smiled weakly. "So" she told him, "lunch at the Youth Center?"

"Nah" he said sheepishly, "it's usually crowded this time of day. I was thinking of something more…" he paused for a moment, yet decided to take the dive, "something more, private?"

The statement came out as a direct question making her look at him questionably. "What do you mean?" she stated cocking her head a bit as if she had no idea what he was talking about.

"Umm…you know." After that question, he really didn't want to go through with the proposal at all. If she hadn't figured what he was talking about, then dating didn't cross her mind at all. "Like, maybe just having lunch at the park this time." He felt safe enough with the new angle he took, though to him, it was more of a 180-degree turn. It wasn't a date; it was just lunch…again…like friends…again.

- - -

Driving to the Youth Center silently after the awkwardness of what seemed like a small attempt from his part, Kat was playing the scene over and over in her head. Had he really meant to ask her out? Nothing would prove other wise, unless one counts that spur turn of events from going private to a public park. Mental numbness drew an outline above her forehead, as she felt stupid in asking the question instead of going along with it.

Once they arrived at the Youth Center, she was going to get off but she felt a warm hand above hers for a split second before hearing the door open from the other side.

"Don't get off. I'll just be in and out and we can head to the park" he told her wanting to smile but something pulling him back didn't allow him to.

"Oh" she said, closing the door knowing all too well that it was still open. "Okay" she simply stated before sitting back on the seat once more. "Take your time" she said not having anything more on her mind to tell him as she saw him get off and enter the building. _How could I be so stupid?_ She thought to herself again replaying the scene in her head. _I gotta do something before he thinks I don't like him_.

- - -

The park was surprisingly calm that afternoon. Looking around, there were not that many people surrounding the area at all. _Wow_, was Tommy's first thought as he placed his and Kat's drinks down on the picnic table under the shade. She sat next to him as she gave him his burger and placed hers in front of her surprising Tommy that she didn't take her usual spot across from him. The whole time she sat in the jeep, this was the best she could come up with. Of course, telling him how she felt crossed her mind a couple of times, but that really wasn't something to be said and left just out in the open.

As they both were concluding their meal, Tommy looked over to his right and then his left. The park brought back so many memories of sparring with his brother, David. Looking down, he didn't feel the need to finish his last bite.

Kat, seeing this placed her hand on his back and swallowed the last bite she was chewing. "Are you thinking of David again?" she asked him knowing what the answer would be.

Nodding his head he inaudibly whispered, "yeah."

She pressed her lips together before licking them. Thinking it would buy her at least a second to think about what to say. All she could do was nod slightly while looking down at his trembling fists. She reached over and pressed her hand on his, squeezing it to stop the shaking.

"I miss him so much" he told her in a sad tone.

"I'm so sorry." She meant what she said. She too knew the loss of someone so close to her. Only four months ago, the loss of her mother made her petrify life itself.

Turning to face her, he saw the grief she still held for her mother clear as day on Kat's face. "No Kat. _I'm _sorry" he told her taking her hands into his. "I should be comforting _you_" he told her his eyebrows still remaining in a soft sadness. He mentally kicked himself for bringing up death having Kat lose her mother only two months prior. Though, truly if it wasn't for their deaths, they wouldn't have been so close now.

-FRIENDS-

"Mum" Katherine called out to her mother whom was cooking in the kitchen downstairs. "Mum…have you seen my pink sweater?"

"No Katherine. Are you sure you didn't throw it in the wash?" Her mom, Erin told her daughter as she made her way up the stairs to help her.

"I don't think…so…ugh" Kat scoffed at the clothes as she pulled a pair of jeans out of a pile of clothes sitting on her chair. Her closet was a mess; she didn't even dare look in there. If her friends would see her room, the sight of revealing that she wasn't a clean freak, like they all assumed, would definitely frighten them. The only person who knew about her lack of organization was Tanya Sloan, her best friend; and that's because she lived with the Hillards for a short amount of time. "I'll just wear my white jacket I guess," she said blowing a strand of hair away from her face and snickering at her laughing mom.

"I don't know what I'm going to do with you Katherine" he mom told her in her thick Australian accent, "they should have a teen seminar on cleanliness."

"I _am_ clean mum" Kat argued, "I'm just no very organized, that's all."

- - -

Though, it was cold, he _did_ see an upside to walking to the gym. It gave him time to think things through. It wasn't even six months since he saw his brother last. The car accident was embedded into his memory like a nail hammered into a piece of wood all the way through. The news barged into his life making an earthquake seem like a small noise caused by the fall of a child's chair. He couldn't think of anyone to help him in his situation. Not having his brother anymore after just weeks of knowing he actually had one, was making him emotionally unstable and moronic; worst part is, it was killing him physically as well.

Only three weeks ago he thought twice of slitting his wrists, once actually attempting to do it. The only thing that stopped him was the fear of leaving this world like a coward and not facing his problems, though the thought never left his head once.

The cold January breeze blew his loose hair back as he walked into the parking lot of the popular teen hangout. Sticking his cold hands into his pockets, Tommy cursed at himself for not taking a jacket knowing the weather would be cold. His mother had warned him, though, the terrible fight they had didn't help one bit with his memory loss. Leaving the jeep in the garage by her orders, he had to walk the twenty or so blocks to the Youth Center.

Almost tripping on his own lasses, he looked around embarrassingly to see if anyone had seen him trip. He felt relaxed when he noticed no one was around the parking lot but him and a bunch of empty vehicles. Bending down to tie his sneakers, he felt a bright orange flyer swap him on the right side of his inner thigh and remained there as if it were stuck even though the tips where still blowing in the wind. He disregarded the flyer but instead of throwing into the wind, he cupped it under his shoe and stepped on it to hold it down. As he stood up, he grabbed the flyer to take it to the trashcan indoors. Something compelling about it though made him read it to himself:

_Teen Suicide is a growing Epidemic.  
__Having trouble sleeping?  
__Talking?  
__Or just plain living?  
__We can help, call 555-9375_

"Hmm…" he said out loud after reading it. He walked steadily in through the doors of the Youth Center and inserted a quarter in the payphone.

- - -

Jason Scott practiced his kick over and over again for the ninth time now still waiting for Tommy until he saw him coming in through the doors. "Hey man…you're not just a _little_ late this time…"

"Hey Jase" Tommy interrupted him not minding his own rudeness. "Do you think you could go with me to this place I found out about today? I mean… it's not that I wouldn't go alone, but… it's a new place and I just don't wanna drive an hour by myself."

Jason was gladly going to say yes to the invitation, but remembered his long awaited date with Emily. "Ooh" he said concern in his voice, "I would go bro, but…I promised Emily I'd take her out tonight to celebrate her birthday before she leaves."

Tommy looked down at the blue floor mats under them and nodded. "Okay bro" he said before looking back up and grinning, "I understand."

"Sorry man" Jason told him seeing Tommy turn and walk to their usual table.

"It's cool Jase. Don't sweat it," he said. Even though he was feeling bummed out about his best friend not being able to go with him, he understood that Emily was leaving soon to visit her godparents up state and she wouldn't be back for two weeks. "I'll just find someone else to go with me."

Jason went back to practicing kicks. Seeing Tommy's slumped posture, he didn't want to ask him to spar. He knew he'd probably wasn't up for it at the moment.

Tommy walked to the table and sat down with a sad look on his face. He looked down at his hands as if they were the only things in the world at that moment. For an instant he could swear he smelled the aroma of a sweet scent come into his nostrils. Sure enough, as he looked up to see what it was, he saw Kat sitting in one of the many vacant chairs there.

"Hi" she told him once she saw that he had looked her way.

"Hey" he countered her way grinning as best he could.

"What are you up to?" she asked seeing if she could turn his frown 'upside down'.

"Nothing much, I just found this flyer and…" he shook his head, "forget it."

"Oh come on," she said brushing a stand of blond hair behind her ear. "You found a flyer and…" she said waving her hand in a motion urging him to continue.

"…and" he said, "I called the number on it and they gave me an address to go there."

"Oh" was all she said not knowing exactly what was to be said after that. "So…are you going?"

"Maybe" he shrugged handing her the flyer. "I don't have anyone to go with. I don't really wanna go by myself." The thought of asking Billy to go with him popped into his mind then.

As she retrieved the flyer, her eyes widened. She knew Tommy was feeling down, but she never thought it was _this_ serious. Could he possibly be thinking of suicide? "I'll go with you" she told him easily.

He looked up at her with hope in his eyes, "really?" he said grinning.

"Yeah. When do you plan on going?" she asked him as she folded the flyer back to it's original crumpled self.

"I was thinking of going today" he said his tone getting a bit down for thoughts of her backing out entering him.

"Oh, okay. I'll have to go home and change though" she answered him raising her eyebrows at him.

"It's an hour drive though" he told her wanting her to get the full information now before it was too late and she didn't want to go later.

"Hey, what are friends for?" she asked smiling at him glad to be getting a smile back from him. Sure it was a sad smile, but nonetheless, it was a smile.

- - -

They arrived at the address told to Tommy right before eight. He didn't want to give too much information out. He just went to see what the place was all about and see if it was worth coming back to. Katherine was there for moral support. She really cared about him in ways that she herself couldn't explain.

"It starts at eight right?" she asked him as she got off the jeep and headed inside along with other people walking in the doors.

"Yup" he told her checking the address again wanting to know for sure that they were in the right place.

Katherine looked around for a moment and noticed something very odd about the rather dark theater they were entering. "Umm…Tommy" she said turning to him wrinkling her eyebrows in the process. "Do you notice that there are mostly middle aged men in here?" Her tone was low and discrete.

Tommy at that looked up from the paper and around at their surroundings. "Yeah" he said in a slow manner looking around in puzzlement.

"Are you sure they said teens were going to be here tonight?" she asked him wanting to make sure they were in the right place. "It doesn't look like a counseling center at all."

The place looked more like a show to her. For some reason she was getting bad vibes out of the whole situation. The place had a really bad smell to it. A smell she couldn't place her finger on, but she could have sworn it was a strong gory scent of some sort. Tommy as well looked around to find the men paying the entrance. They hadn't told him anything about a cover charge to get in here. The few women that were there as well seemed dirty and middle aged like the men did. He shook his head not knowing what to say at the precise moment.

"Tommy" Kat began, "I don't like the looks of this."

"Me neither" he told her still looking around. He was going to suggest the exit at that but a man with a loud hoarse voice got up on a chair and started announcing the show.

"The show's about to begin! Hurry, hurry, hurry" the man on the chair said. He looked as if he were in his late fifties and had a bad case of gingivitis. Looking dirty, drunk, and drugged, he got off the chair struggling even though he had help and walked through the entrance doors of the show.

"We should check it out" Tommy heard Kat say as he saw her take a step forward and pulled out a twenty dollar bill.

"Kat wait" he told her but also thought they should check it out. He immediately stopped his protest as they handed both of them slips of papers.

They both filled out the forms stating they were completely a part of and responsible toward anything that was seen and done that night. They were a little self-conscience about the whole thing, but they had to fill out the quick papers to see if it was a matter that the law should get involved in. As they both started heading in through the doors, a tall old man with a long beard called out Tommy's name making him step back once more.

"You didn't write down your driver's license number kid" he told Tommy who was now at the front once more.

"Oh" he simply said taking the form and jotting down the numbers quickly.

Once inside, they noticed the men and women standing in front of a stage waiting for the curtains to be pulled up. They both looked at each other and wondered what could possibly be going on when the lights dimmed. Tommy quickly grabbed Kat's hand to make sure he didn't lose her at any point in time that they were there. He pulled her toward her as they began walking to the center of the crowd so they could have a center view of what was going to happen.

As the curtains opened, the people around them applauded causing Kat to widen her eyes and remain in awe with her mouth open at the sight she had in front of her. A woman sat naked in a chair tied down to it gagged and unable to move.

"Oh my God" Tommy whispered silently looking at the other people's reactions to the sight that lay before him. No one seemed uncomfortable by this at all making him turn to Katherine and she to him while they both looked at each other questionably before looking back at the stage.

A man wearing a black leather mask walked up next to the woman who started crying uncontrollably. He got two butcher knives off the cart and began running them all around her body. The woman began squirming as best she could to untie herself from the tight ropes. The man then stabbed the woman in the stomach four times continuously. Blood gushed out of her abdomen. He then proceeded in using the other knife to stab her in her right eye with his left hand as the right was used to drop the knife and stick his hand inside her body grabbing any organ he could find and yanking it out forcibly all the way.

Tommy at this couldn't believe his eyes. The only thing going through his mind at that moment incredibly enough was reason. He thought of going up on stage and rescuing the poor woman, but that had meant it might have been the forty guys in the audience against him. There was no telling what they might have done to them, to Kat. He then thought about her well being and knew that something horrible would definitely happen to her if he were to pull something stupid in a place he knew nothing about.

He looked over at Kat whom remained still through the whole ordeal. She was frozen. She couldn't believe what she just witnessed. A murder right before her very eyes. A cold-blooded murder and she didn't do anything about it. For some neurotic reason, she was somehow hypnotized with the snuff show going on right in front of her. She couldn't move a muscle, though her mind was racing at the speed of light. She couldn't save her anymore.

It was too late to do anything now. The chainsaw's roar was loud and fierce as it was used to chop her body into different bits. First, the toes where cut off by an inch away from their separations, then her hands about an inch away from her wrists. Pieces of her body were just being dropped to the stage's floor and some even rolled off. Dark red blood was sprayed to the audience even though miraculously, Kat didn't get sprayed, they both knew they would be taking a shower as soon as they got home…if they made it out of there alive that is.

Katherine blinked only once and felt a cascade of tears running down her face. That was it. It was finished. She couldn't believe her eyes.

The short twenty minutes they had been there seemed like an eternity to Tommy. It was as if he was watching the whole thing in slow motion yet couldn't do anything about it. The whole time he never let go of Kat's hand, yet knew she was feeling the same horrible way that he was because of the strong grip she held as she clutched her fingers tightly around his.

They both knew the trip home would be dealt by a long ride of unbroken silence.

- - -

Two long weeks were spent almost wordlessly between Tommy and Kat. Their friends knew there was definitely something going on between the two, but neither would say a word to their friends about what happened. Tension would always arise once these two would be in the same room together. They found it better to not say anything to each other or anyone else for that matter.

There was so much to be said, yet Kat didn't have the courage to say it. Finally, Tommy called her up on the phone that afternoon and told her to meet him at the park to talk about what was going on and to discuss what they felt about the show. She agreed, though, she had ballet practice. She'd meet him afterward. He argued urgency, but she wouldn't swallow it. Priorities came first, and she had to practice more than anything. At ballet practice, Katherine still couldn't believe what she witnessed not that long ago.

- - -

Arriving at the park and finding Tommy were the easy parts that day. Once he saw her coming up to him, he ran toward her meeting her more than half way there. "Kat" he called to her waving a paper in front of her face.

"What is it?" she asked him trying to maneuver her head to get in focus with the swaying orange paper.

"I got this flyer at home. I barely got it before my dad could see it," he said folding the flyer and putting it back into his pocket. "Did you get one?"

"No…I didn't," she said recollecting her steps of the day. "I haven't been home all day." She tried to remember if she had seen the mail being picked up by either of her parents this morning but not one thing came into her head at that time.

"Well, maybe since I was the one that called, they sent me a flyer" he told her trying to reassure her now worried look.

"I better get home," she said quickly picking up her gym bag and taking out the keys to her car. Not even bothering to say goodbye, she turned and started walking as fast as she could to her car.

_We actually witnessed a murder right in front of us_, Tommy thought as he saw Kat walking away. _We were part of the murder. We're…murderers. I could've done something to save that poor woman_. He looked down at the wet grass placing his hands on his sides. Shaking his head, he cursed himself for signing the forms and showing his ID to those jerks. How was he any different from them? He was there. He could have done something.

- - -

"Mum" Kat called out to her mother as she walked inside a quiet house. Her father must have been at work like always, she knew her mother had to be either home or maybe grocery shopping. Seeing no mail in the mailbox outside, she started looking around the house to see if a flyer was sent there. If not, it was _her_ job to bring in the mail for the rest of her life. Walking into the kitchen, again she called for Erin. No answer. Cocking her head to the side in a questioning motion, she peered at the counter where an orange paper lay face up. She walked up to it as if it were a cobra waiting to bite her. She read what it said:

_DARE to save your TEEN conference.  
__Have any questions?  
__Comments?  
__Or just plain concerns?  
__We can help. Call, 555-9375_

Kat felt a pain in her stomach as she wrinkled the paper in her hand squeezing it as tightly as her grip could bear. She walked to the trashcan and stepped on the lever so it could open. As she threw the paper in the trash she looked up and noticed a note on the refrigerator door, it read:

_Went to conference  
__-Mum_

At this, Katherine felt nausea in the pit of her stomach starting to rise. It was no time to be feeling sick now. She checked the time on the microwave oven, 7:23pm. "Oh my God!" she yelled out loud running to the living room, retrieving her car keys, and running out the door. Her first instinct was to drive straight to the place, but thought ahead and decided to pass through the park in case Tommy was still there. To her surprise and maybe her prayers helping, he was. She honked her way there as she sped through the grass making him wonder what was wrong with her. "Get in the car, now!" she demanded.

With everything that had been going on, he didn't need to ask what her problem was. There'd be plenty of time for that in the car. He ran to the passenger side and got in the car as quickly as possible. "What's the matter" he questioned with concern in his voice getting pulled back as Kat hit the accelerator.

"It's my mum…she's at the show," she said not even noticing her voice breaking or her hands trembling.

- - -

They ran inside, paying and signing the forms as fast as they could. Again, Tommy forgot to write down his driver's license number. Calling him back, the man demanded he write it down and showed his ID. "Just go Kat!" he told her as he snatched the form from the old man.

Katherine ran into the room pushing the doors wide open. Running into the crowd, she searched for her mother. "Mum!" she called out looking for her in the crowd, until she looked up at the stage. There sat her mom, naked, dead eyes wide open as if looking right at her daughter; the blade of the chainsaw ripping through her ears. "Mum! No!"

-FRIENDS-

**A/N: **I know, I know, it had to be a dribble but with the way I write…what did you expect?


	2. Dare

_Disclaimer: Read Chapter One._

**A/N: **If you've read my forum under update, you'll see that I can't update my stories (myself). I allowed myself to use the computer, just not the Internet. I'll be nice to you guys and ask my sister (yet again to go under my username) to post the story up for me so it won't seem like such a LONG wait. In the mean time, I'll work on others to post later on.

**Thy Collection of 40  
**'_Love is all in how you look at Romance'_

Dare

The large black banner above the High School entrance was noticeable for all to see. The _D. A. R. E._ Program was the logo for the student council's annual drug-free week. Red was the color all throughout the hallways. Posters of McGruff the crime dog were eyesores to the students that had to see it year after year.

"Do you dare to be drug free Adam?" Rocky DeSantos asked his best friend Adam Park jokingly in his best rusty voice imitating the famous dog as he pointed his finger to his best friend's face making him laugh.

"The only drug I need in my life to keep me high is Tanya" Adam stated pushing the young man's hand away smiling. He knew the comment was going to get him a response of some sort of joke one way or the other, but he didn't care.

"T_he only drug I need is Tanya_" Rocky repeated mocking Adam's tone as he placed his hands on his hips and swayed his body from side to side trying to make it look as girly as possible. He got punched on the arm as a response; which he had to admit, it hurt pretty badly. Lifting his book bag from the floor, he noticed Adam start to walk in the direction of their next class. "Are you gonna go to the _D. A. R. E._ party?" he asked as they turned the corner of the hallway full of teens.

"Yup" Adam said with ease, "I just have to go to music class first," he said raising his eyebrows as a gesture of hello to his girlfriend as they passed her locker.

Tanya looked over at them and smiled before blowing a kiss his way in which Rocky 'caught' with his hand and pressed his palm against his chest. The kiss made Kat turn around to see who she was kissing, but Rocky's gesture made her laugh hysterically especially after seeing the two just pass by them bickering over the imaginary kiss back and forth. Shaking her head, she turned back around and faced Tanya whom was now speaking to her.

"There goes two of the craziest guys in school," she said with a dreamy look in her eyes as she followed the boys' direction seeing their backs.

"Yeah" Kat agreed, "but one of them is only crazy for you." Smiling at her best friend's now blush, she shook her head at this. "You've got it bad for him Tanya."

Tanya at this sheepishly looked down before noticing a very familiar face heading their way. "And I'm sure you've got it bad for a certain guy here too" she told Kat whom hadn't seen who was approaching.

Now it was the blonde's turn to look down sheepishly while saying, "yeah, I guess, but Tommy's really wrapped up with stuff right now, besides…" she couldn't continue her sentence as she felt a hand on her shoulder making her turn around before widening her eyes. "Tommy, hi!" she said in a near yell from the startled feeling she held being quickly overpowered by embarrassment.

"Hey" he simply said with a wide smile and a twinkle in his eye. "Ready to go to class?" he asked her feeling a small warmness cross his face as he instantly recollected what he had just heard.

Biting down on her lip looking anywhere but at his eyes, Katherine quickly shook her head yes as she inaudibly accepted to go. She saw him nod and turn to the direction of hers and his next class as she followed. As she stepped a couple feet behind, she looked back clutching her binder and folders tightly up against her breasts as she looked back and gave her smiling friend a bad look and wording 'watch' threateningly.

At this, Tanya innocently waved at her friend laughing inside herself as she turned and slammed her locker shut.

- - -

A small groan was heard as a series of unified chanting voices spoke yet again for what seemed like the umpteenth time, 'drug…abuse…resistance…education'.

A police officer was in every senior class the last period of the day having educated the underclassmen in the previous classes. The one in Tommy and Kat's class was what they thought the worst teacher in history. He wasn't meant to give a class, Officer Rodriguez was meant to defend the civilians of Angel Grove, not teach them about saying 'no' to drugs.

Kat remained with her head rested on her hand to the side as again she chanted along with her classmates, "drug…abuse…resistance…education." It was torture. No human being could be able to withstand such mental pain of having to go through this. _We got it tough guy, _she told herself, _drug abuse resistance education…we got it!_ 'Again' she heard him say, "drug…abuse…resistance…education." _How many times is he going to make us repeat this?_ She asked herself as she looked up at the white foamed ceiling that was above them, _God, _she began, _if you end this torture right now, I promise never to do drugs as long as I live._ "Drug…abuse…resistance…education."

Tommy wasn't having the time of his life over in his seat either, though his sun burned a bit brighter than hers did at the moment. As he chanted, "drug…abuse…resistance…education" along with the others, he couldn't help but smile internally at what he played over in his mind. Had Katherine said his name when it came to being crazy about someone? He had absolutely no idea. For weeks now he's been trying to find the perfect way to ask her out, but in every occasion it seemed as if something would interrupt his attempts; having it be either a situation coming up, or just plain nerves he couldn't control. "Drug…abuse…resistance…education" he said again wanting to look back at where the pink ranger sat but pulled himself deeper in his chair to constraint himself.

- - -

Four Zeo rangers sat around the Youth Center's table as Ernie came up to them with a tray at hand. "Here you go…for my best customers," he said as he walked up next to Tanya. "Cheeseburger and fries for Rocky, Tanya, and Kat" he said as he placed the oval-shaped plates in front of the respected teens. "And for Tommy, a ham and Swiss sandwich." As he prepared to turn around, he added, "Emily will be out shortly with your smoothies guys."

A series of thank yous and okays went around the table as they each got their plate and information.

"I feel bad eating without Adam and Jason" Tanya told the group as she took a bite out of her hamburger as they all began to prepare their meals as best they could. The group just laughed at her comment and gesture before they began eating their food.

There was silence over the coarse of the meal. Either halfway done or others, close to finishing, Adam arrived and joined the table before ordering and beginning to eat as well.

Halfway through his meal, the others were done and chatting about school and how grueling the officers' teaching methods were. Once hearing the subject, Tanya quickly jumped in after Katherine's discussion of the boring last period.

"Kat, you should've been there. We could've been passing notes back and forth or just completely doing whatever we wanted. Officer Smith did nothing but give us handouts and flirt with Ms. Penny all period long. He didn't even seem like he cared much about the noise or anything." As the others nodded, she simply ended her sentence with a mere, "I wish anyone was there. I hardly talk to the girl sitting next to me. I spent the whole period doing homework" she stated making the others laugh and sympathize for her.

- - -

The Angel Grove Ballroom was in full swing at just a quarter of a mile away from the High School. Again, streamers of red, white, and black illuminated the halls. At least it wasn't much of a let down for the kids at the dance; the music was good, and so was the food. The lights coming off the DJ's set was helping immensely also, so everything wasn't as bad as the teens talked about. The officers could throw a pretty good party when they had to. Having it wasn't a must either; it was the officers' choice to make a dance for them. Calling it, 'The_ D. A. R. E._ Party' was a bit lame, but it was a nice gesture on _their _part nonetheless.

Tanya walked into the ballroom clutching hands with Adam, holding on to his lime green long-sleeved shirt tightly as she looked around at the decorations. "This isn't so bad," she said to herself smoothing down her light yellow dress in the process. Even though she was speaking to herself, she received a comment after hers from Adam whom was pulling a chair for her.

"Yeah…it turned out pretty cool," he simply said as he pushed in the chair a bit to comfort his girlfriend.

Katherine had arrived a few minutes after the group had settled in their seats and was watching each of the couples' actions around her. Looking to her right, she saw Rocky flirting with his date, Allison. She grinned at the couple as she witness him trying to caress her lower back but getting his hand slapped off by her. Looking to the left of them, straight ahead of her, she saw Adam holding on to Tanya's hand and smoothing it from wrist to finger and back again as he smiled at her and laughed along as she was. Smiling, she turned to her right again to find Jason and Emily huddled up together on the dance floor as they both swayed to the beat of the slow song witnessing Emily whispering gently into Jason's ear. Kat at this sighed a breath of frustration as she slumped back into her chair before sitting up again at the sight of Tommy coming in through the door. She smiled and waved his way before motioning with her hand to sit with the group. Her hand gestures stopped suddenly. Not because he saw her, but, because she saw he had a date, Hannah Ilene Vaughn. Kat's face somehow dimmed for a moment as she saw the two walking through the entrance, though her smile returned his way as she noticed them both heading different directions into the ballroom.

"Hey Kat" Tommy said as he approached the table. He got greeting from all around the table, including a still dancing Jason whom was awarded a nod as a sign of hello from Tommy's part in which he reciprocated. Sitting down next to Kat was the easy part for Tommy as he chose a place to sit, it was the only single empty seat at the table not making it look noticeable that he wanted to sit next to Kat. The hard part for him was asking her to dance, or making any move whatsoever on his part. "So, what are you up to?" he asked raising his voice so she could hear him over the music that was playing.

"Not much" she said before instantly realizing she didn't want to end a conversation with him like that. She quickly thought up a subject and blurted the first thing that came to her mind. "So, how was your martial arts class today?" she asked having to thank herself she didn't make a fool of herself once more.

"Pretty good. You're not here with anyone?" Tommy then jumped in there; he wanted to get this over with. He figured, if he _was_ going to get anywhere with her tonight, he'd rather stop beating around the bush and ask. The more time he had with her the better, but if she turned him down was a con on his list of pros and cons.

"No" she said sheepishly somewhat embarrassed of going to a dance alone. "And you? You don't have a date?" she asked yelling a bit yet refusing to make eye contact with him for some odd reason. She tried to look at his eyes as she spoke to him, but couldn't. It was as if a negative magnetic force due to her nerves was preventing her from having a decent conversation with him.

"No…to tell you the truth, I was hoping you didn't either" he told her getting closer to her ear as he spoke. He smelled her hair as he talked into her ear and nearly buckled under the pressure once more.

"Oh really?" she asked a bit flirtatiously now, "And why is that?" she stated knowing his little mind game and wanting to play along knowing that it might end up going somewhere. Though the second thing behind her mind was complete chaos if he would say something like 'I didn't want to be here alone.'

"Well" he began to say as he mentally jumped for joy as she asked the exact right question he was looking for in his little trick comment, "because I was driving over here telling myself that I should've asked you to a dance a long time ago."

She was going to answer an honest, 'so why didn't you?' but instead she saved the safe route for another time and went down the riskier one. "Well, we're at a dance right now" she said motioning with her eyes the ballroom surroundings.

"We are" Tommy answered nodding his head before continuing on, "Katherine, would you be my date for this dance?" he asked her taking her hand into his saying it as sweetly as he could while looking into her eyes, having to yell though was killing the romance of it all.

"I'd love to be your date for this dance" she told him as she raised her voice back at him before smiling in his direction.

- - -

The magic of the night was in each of their eyes. Tommy held Kat closely as they stood outside of the ballroom looking up at the stars. He looked around at the grass ahead of them and saw the sprinklers go on. He pulled her in a bit closer toward his chest as he thought of the breeze blowing cold drops their direction. She smiled at him as she felt his strong grip get tighter. Holding on to both his hands on her lower abdomen, she too looked up at the stars as she placed her head onto his shoulder.

"This is really nice." Closing her eyes, she took in a deep breath of fresh air and imagined the velvet sky above her behind her eyelids. "It's a really beautiful night" she stated opening her eyes now and staring up at the moon this time.

"Yeah" Tommy told her making his eyes wander around for a bit trying to find the right words to tell her at that moment. He didn't want anything cheesy or too predictable; he looked to his right to almost simultaneously have her look to her left, "having you here like this is making it that much perfect." Looking deeply into her eyes, he grinned at her; seriousness crossing his face with a faint pinch of love in his tone.

All she could do is look into his eyes as well smiling in his direction. Neither saying a word, she turned around and faced him before both sharing a tightly fitted hug.

As the long embrace ended, they again looked into each other's eyes before she looked down first, smiling internally. He smiled also, as he pulled his hands from her back and placed them snugly on her waist. With a small chuckle, he said, "are you thirsty?"

She chuckled lightly as well as she answered, "a little bit. I could go for some punch."

"Okay" he began before beginning to turn around, "I'll be right back okay?"

"Alright" she replied feeling light blushes on her cheeks starting to blemish across more of her face. She saw him go into the ballroom, before she heard a small whisper heading her way.

"_Hey_" was the whisper from her right. She cautiously turned to see nothing but bushes and a sidewalk heading to the side of the building toward the parking lot. "_Hey_" she heard again a bit louder this time. "Is there anyone out there?" she asked feeling fear rise yet controlled it with a stern look.

No answer; there was definitely something wrong here and she had to find out what it was. She again looked at her surroundings; nothing. She squinted her eyes as she thought of telling the others. She nodded her head as if agreeing with herself and took a step forward to enter the ballroom.

"Ah!" she heard a loud yell from beside the building. She was confused for a bit having the scream sound a bit on the manly side. Either way, she ran as fast as she could to the side of the building to see non other than Officer Rodriguez, his back against the brick wall.

"Officer Rodriguez" she said a bit startled calming her voice down, "why aren't you inside?" She stepped closer to him and crossed her arms under her chest as she cocked her head to the side questionably. "Is everything okay?"

"I'm fine Katherine." He smiled at her feeling her smile reciprocate toward him. "I just tripped to the side on a hole" he said easily.

"Oh." A chuckle came up her throat. "You scared me there for a bit."

"I'm sorry Katherine. The last thing I'd do to you is scare you." His voice was a bit seductive in a way, but she blew it off to the side nodding.

Looking down she tried to find the hole he had stepped in. No hole; she wrinkled her eyebrows at this as she scanned the rest of the soft lighted floor quickly before looking up and seeing somewhat of an evil grin across from her. "Officer Rodriguez…" she halted her statement for a second before continuing, "are you sure you're alright?" She took a step backward as she spoke, getting her stance ready to jolt to the side and run into the ballroom.

"I'm fine" he told her again smiling. She looked at his teeth. A gleam of light shown through from the crown placed in his upper left tooth making it sparkle somewhat as he closed it. He looked down and took a step toward her looking at her from bottom to top. "Question is darling…will you be okay?"

At this, Kat's eyes widened suddenly showing an enormous fear toward this man. She stopped exhaling and found herself not breathing much except for internally. She didn't say anything at this. This didn't deserve a response, she stepped another step back before turning her body to the doors. He quickly pulled her his way before getting pushed fiercely toward the wall.

"Tommy!" she yelled knowing he'd be back any second now. "Tommy!" she yelled again as she began her sprint to the doors.

"Where do you think _you're_ going huh?" he asked her casually yet feeling his breath jump in the process. Again he grabbed her by the arm, but this time pulled her in as tight as he could with his left hand as he placed his right hand over her mouth pushing his fingers forcefully against her cheek.

Tommy came out, just barely being noticeable from the distance they were from, but Officer Rodriguez saw him. At this, he pulled her back even further against his chest if it were possible and flung her quickly to his left as he hid on the side of the building. A loud cry came from behind his hand making him press her against him as he squeezed the side of her stomach as hard as he possibly could. "Shut the fuck up you little bitch" he told her with a near whisper in a desperate attempt to shut her up as he began hurting her side making her cry sound more vulnerable yet not as loud as before.

Tommy stepped outside and took a couple more steps forward from where he was standing with Kat. "Kat" he called out to her looking around. "Kat, are you out here?" he questioned again before looking down questionably, picking up the empty red cup off the floor. He widened his eyes at the empty cup he held.

A near grudging sound came out of her as she felt tears fill her eyes before running down her face. She felt the barrel of a gun to her temple before looking up and seeing it actually pointed at her head making her eyes close with such tightness that she found new tears as she opened her eyes once more.

"Listen here…you're gonna be quiet okay?" he told her whispering, "or I'm gonna blow your fucking brains out."

At this, she began whimpering feeling the gun being pressed against her head more and more. Sobbing under his hand, she again closed her eyes at not hearing Tommy's voice anymore making her tears come out even more now.

Feeling her right hand wiggle free, she quickly lifted it high before bringing it in and elbowing him on the stomach making him bend forward and let out an "oomph!" of pain as he slowly released her feeling his pain getting stronger and stronger.

She quickly felt the aches on her jaw and left cheek grow rapidly as she tossed herself forward to get away from him. She turned and picked up her right leg and kicked him causing his body to jerk back and hit the wall badly. She then proceeded in striking the left side of his head with the hard part of her stiff palm. She quickly raised her left leg kicking him in the face as he went down to the ground completely. She stepped back a bit still in fighting stance before she saw him gripping the side of his head and face. Blood ran down part of his face as it fell to the ground in sudden flocks.

She looked down feeling a bit weird, before looking in his direction and making out a blurry figure. She began to hear laughter coming from his bloody mouth before she witnessed him look up at her showing that twinkle in his tooth. She closed her eyes and opened them again to find that she could hardly keep her balance. This made the laughter come so much more louder now that it was beginning to scare her.

Though she thought that was the worry at the moment, it only took her one second to look up at the sky and see the moon somewhat turning quickly round and round, quicker and quicker with each passing millisecond. The laughter was now getting to her. She was completely incapable of remaining on her own two feet at this time since she struggled so much to just look up at the spinning moon. Suddenly a sun appeared from out of nowhere to her as she widened her eyes not being able to explain to herself what she was looking at. Like the moon, the sun began to rotate as well, only toward the opposite direction. They were making her dizzy causing her to close her eyes, look down, try to shake it off, before looking up again at the half morning sky. The spinning did not stop for several seconds making it seem like an eternity to Kat. She squinted her eyes before seeing them stop suddenly. She questioned this before again widening her eyes at a now slowly rotating sun and moon showing themselves to her somehow. She couldn't tell by the side of the turns at this point, but she could swear they were…faces?

As they both made their complete turns, she saw the sun and moon look at one another before turning to her and laughing. She cocked her head at this as she questioned in her mind what was going on, before her thoughts were suddenly stopped as she noticed the sun and moon falling. _Were_ they falling? No…she then realized what was going on, they wanted to eat her. She quickly turned around and began to run as fast her legs could take her away from these cartoon-looking things. Her feet began to hurt so much as she ran toward the school's entrance. She stopped, took off her heels and threw them to the side before running toward the door to find that it was locked.

"Ah!" she screamed as they began to approach her faster now seeing how vulnerable she was at this point. She ran to the side of the school looking to her left seeing Officer Rodriguez running her way. Again she yelled before turning a corner and heading right up the stairs to the side entrance. Again, locked. She didn't know what to do at this point, so she decided to jump off the small balcony heading to the outside tables. She jumped quickly landing on a table feet first before stumbling with her own fall and diving head first to the ground. She lifted up her head and turned as she looked up at the sky and saw nothing but a dark navy blue color above her. She sighed a sign a relief before looking around and seeing the sun and the moon each to one of her sides.

Again, she yelled as hard as she could as she felt them getting closer, and closer. She shrieked a cry of plea as she saw Officer Rodriguez getting closer. He knelt down over her straddling her pressing her body down with his own weight. He grabbed her wiggling hands. "No!" she cried over and over as she felt her hand being pushed down forcibly to the cold grass by Officer Rodriguez.

- - -

"Kat…Kat…Kat!" she heard her name being called making her wake up shaking furiously from side to side trying to get away from the nightmare.

"No!" she cried again as she opened her eyes to find her hands unable to be moved much. She stopped once she saw the white walled surroundings and the bright light hitting her eyes making her close them in pain.

"Kat…you're awake" an excited voice told her as she recognized the voice being Tommy's. "Can you hear me?"

"Yeah" she said groggily still adjusting her eyes to the light. For some reason she tried to raise her hands up, but couldn't. It wasn't until her vision started clearing up when she noticed being chained to the hospital bed. Her wrists were buckled tightly with only two inches of chains letting her move. "What…" she asked out loud seeing herself chained down like that. It was then that she felt her ankles pulled down keeping her from lifting her legs. "What…what's going on?" she asked a bit more stable now as she tried to comprehend fully by herself.

"Kat, I'm so glad you're okay" Tommy told her as he walked up to the bed and began to soothe her hair back from her face.

"Yeah…but…why am I strapped like this?" she asked him trying again unsuccessfully to pry herself from the chains with her own weak strength.

"Um…let the nurse come in and check you. I'll explain everything to you later" he told her as he pressed the call button.

- - -

As the nurse left the room, Katherine tried to sit up with no prevail. Only then did she realize that she had practically no strength to do anything at all.

"Whoa" she heard him say before seeing him grab her from the back and helped her sit up, "be careful."

"Yeah" she said still confused wanting to ask, 'be careful from what?' Instead, she sat up and placed her hands over her legs before she began to rub her sore wrists. "Tommy…what happened? Why am I at the hospital?"

"Kat…umm" he began before getting up and beginning to pace around the room annoyingly. This frustrated her like hell, but she somehow remained patient as she waited for him to find the right words for her. "Kat" he said before taking in a deep breath and turning to look straight at her, "someone put something in a number of cups two nights ago at the _D. A. R. E. _Party."

"What do you mean? Like beer, or strong liquor?" she asked him wanting him to get specific.

"No Kat" he said, sympathy in his voice, "not alcohol…it was LSD" he told her with a pain in his face as if he was seeing the events happen that very second.

"Acid?" she asked him knowing the answer was yes.

He nodded his head slowly not being able to pick up his sight from the floor. "Some of the cups were tainted from the inside with powder" he explained to her slowly picking up his head to look at her.

She nodded. "Is everyone okay?"

"Yeah" he began. "Jason, Rocky, and Emily got it in their systems too, but it wasn't as bad since they had figured out what had happened by then."

"What do you mean, 'wasn't as bad'?" she asked wanting to know more preferably about her condition since he made it sound a bit more serious.

He took a seat on the bed casually as she moved her legs heavily to the side feeling his hand on top of hers. "After I gave you the punch, I went to the restroom and when I went back outside, you had finished the whole punch by that time…you were…umm…"

She raised her eyebrows at him in a gesture of wanting him to continue.

"…You were on the ground twitching uncontrollably. You were having hallucinations of some sort…"

She looked down at both their hands embarrassingly feeling a tear rolling down her eye. Feeling it streak her chin, she felt a manly hand wipe it away.

He forced his look of remorse away from his face, but it kept coming back. "I'm really sorry I wasn't there to stop you from drinking that Kat…"

"Tommy, it wasn't your fault…" she failed at the attempt to break his sentence.

"If I hadn't of gone to restroom, none of this would've happened to you…" he continued to say feeling his throat begin to choke up.

As he was speaking, she felt a coldness run down her back as she remembered her hallucination. At this Katherine quickly lifted her hand up to his lips to silence him. "Shh" she quieted him down just wanting to do anything at this point to change the subject. "Thank you" she told him, "for being here with me."

His sad eyes widened a bit before dimming down and forcing a grin on his face, he simply answered, "you're welcome."


	3. Secrets

_Disclaimer: Read Chapter One._

**Thy Collection of 40**

'_Love is all in how you look at Romance'_

Secrets

Pulling up into the driveway not even wanting to open the garage door for lack of time, Tommy got out of his jeep and banged his door shut. Running up the walk toward the door, he held his lower stomach, clutching it as he stumbled for his keys quickly. He knocked on the door twice before finding the right key and unlocked it. Running to the public bathroom in his home, he barely made it as he sat down on the toilet letting out a huge sigh of relief.

- - -

Coming into the kitchen, Tommy had searched the house for his wife. With a confused look on his face, he walked toward the refrigerator and got a bottle of water to help him swallow his Imodium pills. After his drink, he sighed and sat down at the table letting his eyes wander about. He had come home early from work because of a bad case of diarrhea. He smiled and shook his head as he thought that fighting off evil was much more easily dealt with than this. Again, he clutched his stomach before running to the same bathroom and shutting the door behind him. Though, his thoughts _did_ thank the last battle with Mesagog five years earlier for not having to fight off evil now in his condition.

- - -

Again, he makes his way to the kitchen and sits down at the table rubbing his lower stomach in the process. Resting his head back letting it fall backwards, he looks to his right to find a piece of paper sitting alone on the counter calling to him. He put a questioning look on his face as he got up and stood in front of it. He read it out loud, "seek every corner, read every tangled suspect". He reads it yet again slowly in his head now trying to make something out of this.

His thoughts draw back to his wife as he picked up the paper and examined it thoroughly. "Hmm" he said, "Kat, are you home?" he asked out loud once more; no answer. Usually when he got home, his wife would have dinner waiting for him on the table. Maybe she was out grocery shopping. It could be a number of things why she wasn't home, but the small paper made him wonder what it meant. "Seek every corner, read every tangled suspect" he read yet again. Could his wife be in any kind of trouble for some reason? He couldn't place his finger on it, but it _was_ her handwriting.

_Suspicions arise in his head as he held the paper clutching it tightly now in between his fingers. When his wife got home, he'd be sure to ask her what's going on…_

He figures it won't be long until his wife gets home. How much could she walk around the grocery store being eight months pregnant? She'd get home soon. He'd ask what's the piece of paper doing on the counter and what it means. He shakes his head reasoning with himself making his mind drop the subject. He decided to just go ahead and drive his jeep into the garage instead. Heading out through the kitchen door directly into the garage to open the gate from the inside, he quickly noticed the garage had been cleaned. So clean as going far enough to say that it could sparkle. Turning on the light, he got a better look around. Gasping, he ran to the corner of the garage and saw a small squirrel choked by the garage door wires. He walked up to it and looked at the creature in disgust once he noticed an 'E' imprinted on its stomach.

_E__legance had filled the garage only until the nausea crossed his stomach to find such an act of torture in seeing an innocent creature's life end so abruptly…_

Maybe it was dead before the 'E' was burned into its skin. Seeing the dry pink skin outlined with black make Tommy shut his eyes as he looked down feeling a drop of some sort hit the top of his shoe. He bent down and rubbed his index finger over it. It wasn't until then did he notice the squirrel dripping blood from its back. Getting up quickly and turning it around, he let out a breath of disgust as he noticed it had been stabbed in the back. Seeing from the deep gouge in its back, he knew it wasn't an animal that did this. It was a marking of a thick butcher knife. Could Kat have done this? Could the love of his life, whom was expecting his child, have a second life on the side of the one he knew? "No" he said to himself, "not her." 

Turning around, he questioned his wife once more before completely dropping the subject in his head. _She couldn't have done that_, he thought, _she couldn't have done that_. Walking normally toward the kitchen, halfway there, he notices something on the ground to his left. A dead snail this time; he bent over and saw the snail with its limp head turned to the side. Seeing the substance that lay around it, he noticed there was salt all over the snail. He remembered the many times he did the same with a snail as a child. Pouring salt on them just to see their slow reactions as they died right before his eyes. But those kinds of actions he did as a child. How could Katherine do something like this? He began to think it might be some sort of cult act. Maybe there was just something she wasn't telling him about her emotions. Could she have committed something so cold-hearted yet immature at the same time? It was then when he saw the shape that the slime was heading.

_C__onfusion went through him as he saw a slimed 'C' printed on the salty cemented floor. Witnessing such torture of a small snail would have been horrible. He could only imagine the first hand pain one should feel…_

Getting up swiftly and turning off the light before heading into the kitchen, Tommy began to pace back and forth. It was then that he got the idea of going into their bedroom and try to search for clues in her drawers. Maybe something there would tell him what he needed to know about his wife. He walked beside the bed toward her nightstand. He wasn't one to intrude into other people's things, especially his wife's, but if she had a problem of some sort, they must deal with is as a couple. Going into the nightstand, opening it slowly, he somewhat placed himself outside of the situation. "I'm being an idiot" he stated out loud to himself. "There's no way I can do this." He closed the drawer as it was, and sat down on the bed. Setting his hands down on his thighs, he felt the crumpled piece of paper in his pocket. It was the note he had found. He opened it, and yet again read those words. _What do you want to tell me, Kat? _His thoughts were overpowering him now, and he simply remained sitting on the bed pondering what could be up.

Laying back on the bed, placing his hand over his forehead, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath before releasing it and sitting up straight as quickly as possible. He didn't know what came over him as he opened the drawer again and searched for a clue. Nothing in the first drawer was found that would be incriminating but a bunch of envelopes from the mail containing the bills, a couple of coupons, threads and needles, and a copy of US magazine. Shaking his head, he looked around as if he were being spied on for some reason before he slowly but surely opened the bottom drawer of her dresser. There, lone in the center with nothing surrounding it, lay her black journal. Raising his eyebrows, Tommy picked it up and observed it as if it were some kind of magical book. He hesitated. Apprehensive of what he might find, but more torn of what he might not; what if there was nothing in here? What if all of this is just in his head? He'll feel horrible for sure if he finds nothing in here, then again, he didn't want to be disappointed and have all his feelings come in for nothing.

_R__eluctantly, he places one hand under the journal and the other over it having his thumb pull the cover open slowly to reveal nothing in the first page, not even her name… _

Turning the page to the second, he saw yet another blank page. Again, he turned it. He found yet another blank page. Wrinkling his eyebrows, he switched the process from page to page to a quick thumb overview. Skipping the pages quickly, he saw something passing through the pages and he stopped. Going back flicking the sheets of paper, he came to see a single 'R' in the middle of the page. Wrinkling his eyebrows even more, he resumed scanning the rest of the journal and found nothing when he came to the end. Going back to the inked 'R', he questioned the emptiness of the book. _How could this be?_ He thought. He'd seen her write in the journal several times at night before they went to bed. Shaking his head again, he places the book back in its place and stands up from the bed. Looking out the window straight in front of him; he sees not very far off in the distance, the gated area his wife loved so much going to for sometimes hours in the day: her garden.

Squinting from having the sun hit his eyes as he walks out the door, he places his hand over his head as a visor to shield himself from the hot sun. Still recalling the 'R' he found in her book, he ponders if she has a lover. Maybe his name starts with an 'R'. _That son of a bitch Rocky!_ He thought they were friends. He thought he could trust her. Up to this point, he thought he was sane. Laughing off his suspicions, he realizes he's driving himself crazy at this point after finding just a small, maybe insignificant note. He could ask Kat when she got back what it all meant.

Coming to the entrance of the gate, he finds that it's locked. But why? Who would want to go into a garden not having been the owner? Looking around at the gate, he tugs on it a bit to find that the chain connecting the two doors is not tight at all. He pulls on the right door of the gate and pushes the left one.

_E__dging his way through the snug fit, he turns his head and breaths outward to make himself skinnier barely being able to go into the garden successfully without any real trouble at all…_

He sees a small shack in the back of the garden, and heads its way before tripping immediately after taking almost five steps from the gate. Looking back to see what tripped him, he sees a blue top of the mayonnaise jar stuck in the floor pointed upward. From his angle, he can't really see that good, but it somewhat looks like something's written on the top. He bends down and wipes the few clumps of dirt away from it.

An 'E' seemed to be printed on the top of the jar with whiteout. _What the hell is up with you Kat? _He questioned in his mind for what seemed now to be the hundredth time. He pulled up the top but found that it wouldn't come out of the ground. Pulling it harder now, he saw the top was still screwed onto the jar, which was buried into the ground. Clawing into the dirt, pushing it out as he scooped it up, he found it to be easier than he thought.

Picking up the unlabeled jar up to eye level, he finds that there's a brown hard-boiled egg without its shell inside the jar. He'd give it maybe more than a year in there to say the least. What was even stranger than that, there was a picture of the neighbor's cat somehow glued to the egg that remained in tacked with it's round oval shape.

He decided to shake it out of his mind. He placed the jar carefully down in the hole again for fear that it might disperse having it be so rotten already. He pushed the dirt back around the jar's top again, while looking up at his destination. Something in the tool shed should tell him _something_ about the answers that he needs for the note being so suspicious.

Stepping over the jar a bit quickly, he walks to the shed. Looking around at al the different fruits and vegetables carefully aligned and well organized, he wonders if he has any reason to suspect his wife. Maybe she did witchcraft as a hobby. It wasn't hurting anyone. What if she was doing all of this as a superstition to have a healthy birth for their baby? There might not be anything wrong with that; as long as they were clear that she wouldn't hurt anymore animals. This was Kat though, HIS Kat. This was a girl who cried for two hours straight after accidentally running over a chipmunk. She couldn't have done that to the squirrel in the garage nor the snail.

Probably it was some punk kids getting back at their teacher for giving them a failing grade in a test. Maybe a past alumnus whom got held back from not passing science and wants to get even with the teacher that gave him or her a hard time. _Sure, keep telling yourself that Tommy. _

_T__aking one more step toward the shed, he notices a rather peculiar vine that covers most of the side of the door in the shed as if it were telling him not to come near it at all for some reason…_

Tommy takes a step toward the vine before hearing a nearby car. Looking back into the driveway, he checks to see if Kat was coming home; nothing, just a car passing by. Sighing with relief, he resumes with his steps toward the shed's wall. Removing the grapevines he sees a white painted 'T' childishly sprayed on the bottom center of the wall. To his amazement, the 'T' didn't surprise him, it was the vertical line of the 'T' that did. For at the bottom of the line, two angular lines were smudged triangularly pointing downward making some sort of arrow pointing to the ground.

The smudges were those of tomato for some odd reason. It was as if the bottom triangular shape was to be blurred out but still visible to whomever this was meant to be for. _Please don't let it be you Kat_, he remained saying in his head silently. Cursing under his breath, he knelt down and felt the damp dirt under him. Squeezing it harshly in his palm, he started digging with his hands. Removing the dirt was easy, but he just couldn't take the dark wet dirt clogging up his fingernails anymore. It was getting uncomfortable. Throwing aside his uncomforted feeling, he began again.

_S__hoveling desperately with his hands through the dirt, he began to feel that his wife meant more to him than the world itself; nothing could hurdle that but his wife and no one else…_

He stopped dead in his desperation to find the truth. Getting up, he kicked the dirt back in its regular position and pushed the vines back as far as they'd go to cover the 'T'. Thinking thoroughly, he wiped the wet dirt off of his knees to reveal his wet spots under the dirt on his beige pants. Rubbing his hands together, he got out of the garden the same way he got into it, by squeezing his way through. Walking the few feet to the kitchen door he wiped his hands on his humid black shirt. He opened the door, and went toward the refrigerator and got a cold beer out. He kept walking to sit on the couch in the living room. As his rear touched the seat and his thumb turned on the television, the door opened, and in walked his wife; nothing in hands.

"Hey, what are you doing here so early?" she asked him, placing her keys on the hook next to the door.

"Nothing" he said not taking his sight away from the TV, "I just got home." And with that, took a drink of beer.


End file.
